1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system and method for simulating signals which a missile may receive to indicate the presence and position of a target.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Advanced missiles and other devices contain electronic systems for sensing the presence and position of targets and generating data in response thereto. The sensor data is received by a processor which performs an analysis to guide the missile and other tasks. The art has routinely tested missiles and other such devices to assure that they properly respond to target information which they receive from the sensors. It is desirable for both production and development testing to provide a means for inputting simulated sensor data into the missile processor. This will allow the processor to be tested without a working sensor and will allow specific features of the processor to be stressed without consideration for any sensor limitations. It is necessary that the means of producing these simulated targets be at the same time both as flexible and as realistic as possible.
For realism it is necessary to be able to vary the size, intensity, rate oil movement, and number of targets and to present these against a realistic background. The data must also be properly formatted to accurately represent how the data will be presented by the sensor to the processor.
The art has developed test boards which provide a means of buffering, formatting and transmitting target data to the missile processor. These test boards can be interfaced to a separate computer. Software running in the computer will control user input commands to either download preprocessed data or specify target parameters for the creation of real time targets. The test board will provide dual data buffers which allow target data to be written to one buffer while the other is transmitting. Typically, the total amount of data held in a buffer is a single frame. When a complete frame is transmitted the order is reversed. This will allow continuous transmission and updating of target data.
In the system of the prior art, when attempting to create real time targets with a realistic background it is not always possible to completely update a frame in the time it took to transmit the frame. This meant that a given frame had to be transmitted multiple times, reducing the realism of the generated pattern. The prior art had two limitations which the improved system corrects:
1) as the target is moved the background data must be rewritten over its original position; and
2) for the missile field of view to scan, the entire background and target must be rewritten.